Woman's broken spirit is lifted by the kindness of strangers (Be Kind Campaign)

Sometimes, kindness can come in the form of a simple gift basket. (courtesy of The Press-Register)

By Deontée Gordon

I consider myself a fortunate individual. I have friends and
family who regularly commit themselves to doing remarkable things with their
limited time and limitless talents. I'm grateful they've granted me access to
their lives.

They make me a better person.

Last year, I witnessed a friend rally behind a veteran who
was days away from homelessness. I watched another as she fought to help
residents reclaim a neighborhood from prostitutes and pushers. I observed a
stranger turn in a lost wallet owned by an out-of-state student during a
crowded art festival.

And then there's the gift basket.

Last January, a dear friend of mine relocated from the
Southeast to continue cultivating her career. She holds a variety of academic
accomplishments, exhibits remarkable intelligence, owns a thriving business,
and possesses a heart of gold.

Unfortunately, none of that mattered to the criminals who
carjacked her at a busy gas station. In broad daylight.

"They took everything!" I remember her telling me.
She had just returned home from a flight. Packed suitcases, business documents,
laptop ... all gone.

The incident left her with broken bones. Her voiced revealed
a broken spirit.

I took to Facebook to express my outrage. I also wanted to
focus attention on the miracles that, despite respective storms, were still
taking place in all our lives. After all, my friend had her life. Things can be
replaced.

Throughout the week, friends – and even a few strangers – left words of encouragement and offered their prayers for a woman most of them
(possibly, all) had never met. (I chose not to reveal her name online given the
circumstances.)

One text message read:

"Recovery is a process with highs and challenges. She
will need support ... I picked up a basket for your friend."

There are people who constantly show us of the best in
humanity. And then there's, the young woman who sent that text, Wynona Raby.
She'd never met my friend before. At that point, she didn't even know her name.
Yet, she'd gone out of her way to purchase a gift basket for a complete
stranger in hopes that it'd lift her spirits.

Incredible!

And lift them, she did.

It doesn't matter if an act of kindness gains attention in
the press or accumulates a large number of Facebook likes. Neither does it
matter if it kept someone off the streets or simply kept them in good spirits.
What matters most is the gesture itself.

An act of kindness isn't measured in magnitude. It's
measured in attitude.

This year, let's find room on that shelf of resolutions to
add one more: a commitment to find opportunities to make a difference with
simple acts of kindness.

Pay for the meal of an elderly woman who's behind you in
line, write a note instead of an email to comfort someone during a loss, mentor
a troubled teenager, purchase gas for a wounded veteran who's car has seen
better days.

The opportunities to express our humanity are endless.

We'll forgot most of the material gifts we received for
Christmas. They will fade with time. They will break with use. But these gifts,
these acts of kindness, are the things that will stay with us for a lifetime.

Do you have a story of kindness to share? Tell us your story in the comments below or email us at photos@al.com. Learn more about our Be Kind Campaign.